crash at duxford today [2011]

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by Zorin

I will remember your words when I smash my Ferrari in your frontyard when I am 64... I own it, I have logged hundreds of hours and it is ensured... blablabla...

It is pure vanity to not except that you have to step down when the time has come.

Seriously, maybe YOU should think twice before posting a comment.

as long as you have a good insurance I won't mind

In order to fly such aeroplanes you need to pass serious medical tests, not like your driver license, and often it's the pilot himself that reckons he's too old to carry on.

For your information, in view of his advancing age, the pilot just sold the plane, he was doing his last performance with it (the P-51 was bound to Germany after Legends), and once again, it wasn't his fault, he acted according to the briefing.

You might have heard of Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager and Clarence Bud Anderson, they all flew Mustangs well into their 70s and never had a problem.

I'm afraid that your assumptions are completely biased.

[Viper2000]

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger II

as long as you have a good insurance I won't mind

In order to fly such aeroplanes you need to pass serious medical tests, not like your driver license, and often it's the pilot himself that reckons he's too old to carry on.

For your information, in view of his advancing age, the pilot just sold the plane, he was doing his last performance with it (the P-51 was bound to Germany after Legends), and once again, it wasn't his fault, he acted according to the briefing.

You might have heard of Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager and Clarence Bud Anderson, they all flew Mustangs well into their 70s and never had a problem.

I'm afraid that your assumptions are completely biased.

+1

It's not as though they hand out even class II medicals like sweeties.

In any case, you can tell that the man is as fit as a fiddle by the simple fact that he was able to get out of the aeroplane from such low altitude.

It's as easily done as some people probably think!

[Trumper]

A younger less experienced pilot may not have had the presence of mind to get out before it was too late.
There's good and bad young and old pilots,some pilots killed in warbirds weren't that old.
Ray Hanna was probably the best warbird display pilot before he died aged 77 of illness.
You have to judge each person on an individual basis,don't forget alot of 60+ year old people are now more like 45 year olds but with all the added experience.

[SEE]

'agism' is just another form of bigotry, what makes Zorins comments so laughable is the total lack of logic.

It wouldn't have mattered wether the P51 pilot was 20 or 100, the Skyraider would still have connected.

At 100ft above the ground you have to make a pretty damned fast decision regards saving your life at the expense of a plane or attempt to regain control in the certain knowledge that if its the wrong decision your family and friends will be attending your funeral.

Originally Posted by SEE

'agism' is just another form of bigotry, what makes Zorins comments so laughable is the total lack of logic.

It wouldn't have mattered wether the P51 pilot was 20 or 100, the Skyraider would still have connected.

Yes but the 20 year old would only have had 3 years general flight experience and limited mustang flight experience to learn to deal with that sort of problem, were as the 60 year old could have had a possible 40 years.
I know which i would favour anyday.

[swiss]

Originally Posted by SEE

'agism' is just another form of bigotry, what makes Zorins comments so laughable is the total lack of logic.

It wouldn't have mattered wether the P51 pilot was 20 or 100, the Skyraider would still have connected.

At 100ft above the ground you have to make a pretty damned fast decision regards saving your life at the expense of a plane or attempt to regain control in the certain knowledge that if its the wrong decision your family and friends will be attending your funeral.

And the fact, that age as a pure number means nothing.

I would have no problem finding 64year olds who can beat Zorin in any athletic discipline he can think of.

Of course you'll have no problems finding 40years old human wrecks either.

[bongodriver]

I can't believe this went down the 'age' road, the 64 year old pilot didn't cause the accident, the 64 year old had the presence of mind to act when a younger guy might have been wetting his pants, the 64 year old hit the tailplane on the way out and slammed into the ground under an emergency chute canopy (higher rate of descent) and was just bruised, that old man has my full respect.